, 1887-04-12
PESTS OF AFRICA.
A COUNTRY WELL SUPPLIED WITH
ALL SORTS OF INSECTS.

The Ways of the white Ant-Thc Re-
pers. Locusts, Moths and Butterflies.
The Crocodilc-venomous Snakes. 2
The termites, or white ants, build for
themselves houses or hills of an average
height Of three feet above the ground and
three feet diameter at the base, conical in
shape and sometimes adorned with one or
two pinnacles. In rare cases the hills rise
to u height of four or five feet, the sub
stance Of which they are constructed,
earth mixed with a secretion from their
bodies, being as hard as cement.
Mixed with water it Is used as u mortar
in laying bricks and as u covering for the
floors of Kaf1ir l,raals and the houses of
Dutch inhabitants. 1t makes a strong
water and damp proof floor. Tho ant
houses in the interior are divided into
apartments connected by galleries. The
ants nave among themselves regular
guards and soldiers, who, when n breach
is made in their dwelling, rush forth in
its defense and muster the working ants,
who curiously enough are without eyes,
to repair the damage, and in a surprisingly
short time the swarms of ants will havS
effected all repairs and everything will be
right and quiet again. An animal dies on
tic Ntldti oOOn uat NultuItS Will udNc
torn of his hide and devour oil Of it cx-
cepting the bones, then the ants in their
turn clean and polish those so that within
twenty-four hours after death there will
remain only the bones, smooth and pol
ished inside and out, and what was the
day previous u living animal is now a dis
jointed and whitened skeleton.
A book could be written on the various
species of ants, but let us pass on to some
OF the other insects which abound in
Africa. Here l can say a word in favor
of the detested mosquito. In south Africa
he is quite decent. He only bites during
the day, and at sunset, unlike his Amer
lean cousin, goes to sleep and gives you d
rest. AS to 1eas, they arc found in
lcgions, and are a3 active and bloodthirsty
as any in he world.
Sitting in my room one evening reading,
my attention was drawn to q remarkable
looking insect, which sat upon his
launches before me. 1t was of q bright
emerald green color, three inches long,
and evidently of the grasshopper species.
1t had n face like n deaths head, with
large, protruding eyes, which it rolled
about in n most comical manner. Its
forelegs resembled arms with hands,
which 1t held up on either side of its fGco
like q Mortified old woman. Altogether it
is n most ludicrous insect. 1t Is called by
the inhabitants the "Hottentot God"
The Kaflirs are very superstitious about
1t, believing that it Is the f%orerunncr OF
death. 1t is harmless unless annoyed,
when it will show fight.
OF g~rasshoppers and locusts there are
many sorts, from those that are six inches
long and armor plated ike a small iron
clad to little wee things hardly percep-
tible. All Of them, however, are terribly
destructive TO vegetation. Moths and
butterflies are innumerable; some of them
are very beautiful as they flash among
the flowers in the bright African sunlight,
while others are of a more somber hue.
We must not forget the destructive fish
moth, who find out all wooden garments.
aud to your utter dismay when a cold snap
comes on and you think you have a nice
warm garment to put on, giving it q SHAKE
to dislodge the spiders, scorpions and
other disagreeable tenants who like to
take up their abode in all put away cloth
ing, to find 1t fly off in dust, and instead
Of what you expected o have n lne
lace worked article, useless even il
ornamental. Spiders there are, from
those as large as u pigeons egg to the
smallest conceivable size, venomous and
terrible in their bites, lurking in all sorts
of hidden places. One of the most Ian
gerous of the species IL a small, round
bodied fellow, whose ~fayorite haunt is in
outhouseS and In closets, and whose bite
is very painful. Scorpions ore plentiful
and poisonous. Centipedes are found
everywhere. In fact, with those insects
that l have mentioned and others not en-
Enumerated the dweller in Africa needs to
keep his eyes open, hut, like men who
work in powder factories or similarly dan
gerous places, one becomes accustomed to
oil ithaca 1na11u pCnot nn1 - ArRfN
centipede or %tarantula is brushed off in a
cool, matter of fact way, crushed with the
foot, and nothing more thought about 1t.
The largest and most dangerous, al
though not the most numerous, reptile In
Africa is the crocodile. Infesting the
banks of the numerous rivers and lagoous,
he lies in wait for his prey, and seizes on
cattle, deer and human beings. His favor.
lite repast, however, is II dog. If one Is
bowling or barking in the neighborhood
the crocodile is alert and on tho lookout
for him, and If he is caught short work Is
made of him. Resembling the crocodile
in appearance, although in miniature, Ia
the iguana, a harmless reptile, which,
however, is death to snakes. This reptile
lives in holes in trees, and is rather pretty
in color. Next come the lizards, plentiful
and harmless. Then the chameleon,
changing his color to that of the object on
which he may be resting. 1t is quito the
thing in Africa to keep one or two on q
Suspended branch of a tree in your room,
Is they devour an immense number OF
flies and are useful In that way. When
annoyed the chameleon will utter n short
bark and spit at his assailant.
The most dangerous and most plentiful
pests oi this country are the many species
Of snakes. First in size comes the py-
thon, or boa constructor; although moi
maintaining the immense size of his South
American congener, he is q fellow to keep
way from. This snake is found mostly
in the low country adjoining the coast,
and particularly on the sugar estates. II
grows to a length of Is or IS feet, but IL
not considered very dangerous. Then we
have the tribe of nimambas, black, brown
and green. These snakes will not only
show fight to a man, but will pursue him,
essli II mounted. In attacking they rear
themselves up, n a snake @ feet IN
length will carry its head A feet from the
ground, waving 1t from side to sid and
travelling rs fast as n horse can run.
Their bite is sure and sudden death. The
cobra ia nnOflpr dnnrerous snake lvino